Permutation lock



June 9, 1931.

R. K. WINNING PERMUTATION' LOCK Filed Jan. I 2%., 1929 MZMWM BY 5 M 1A %/%1 INVgN TOR.

ATTORNEYS 7 point of origin Patented June 9, v 1931' U Ir ST 5* MEN'IS, T DUDLEY LOCK CORPORATION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A. CQRPOBA' IION OF ILLINOIS PERMUTATION LOCK fipplication filed January 28, 1929. SerialNfo. 385,511. r

action whereby each operative position of while imposiof the the the selector knob is definitely, tively, made apparent to the touch operator and is also rendered audible,

sition of the selector is determined being tangibly distinct from all other positions thereof.

It is particularly my purpose to achieve these results in novel and simple form and 'Figure 1 is a" front elevation at greatly reduced, cost of manufacture as compared with any other devices for defining the positions of this type of lock;

In the drawingsv of a padlock embodying permutation mechanism made in accordance with this invention; I

Figure 2 is an axial section through the lock shown in Figure 1. V 3

Like parts are identifiedby similar reference characters throughout the several views.

The lock casing 5 contains the usual permutation disks 6 and 7 between which the spacers 8 may be the keeper 9 may be-asso'ciatedo for the control of shackle 1 0 in' the manner specifically described in my Patent No. 1,655,002, dated January 3, 1928. The present invention re lates more particularly to the selector knob and its relation to the front wall 16 of the lock casing. o

It will be observed that the knob 15 is reduced in diameter at 17 to'provide a shoul-: der 18 beneath which is engaged a stamped disk 19'carr ing with the kno as the knob is rotated.

The portion 17 of the knob passes through an aperture in the front wall 16 of the lock casing and is provided therein with a por-' vide a shoulder 22;

longitudinally extending" grooves within which'inte'gr'ali tongues of tumbler 7 washer 24', and spring '25 are engaged whereby these partsareall keyed to the knob for rotation from which the angular podisposed and with which a pointer which moves" therewith. The reduced portionof the knob s upset at 26 to bind the parts permanently together in the manner above indicated;

It will be noted that the front wall 16 of the lock casing is outwardly bowed or dished so that the interior surface thereof is' con -The front wall is embossed to pro-' cave. vide an elongated boss at 30 and a series of substantially circular bosses 31 corresponding innumber to the several positions of the permutation mechanism and distinguished from boss 30, the point of origin, in form whereby the difference will readily be apparent to the touch, evenin the dark;

The flat spring 25 when bound upon shoulder 22 by the riveting operation con- V ducted upo'nfthe knob26 is forced to assume a convexity corresponding to the form of the outer wall 16 of the lock casing.v Its extremities are thus placed under resilient pressure in the direction of the'front wall, and the bosses 32 formed in the ends of spring 25 are yieldably urged into registry with the interiors of bosses 30 and 31 inthe several effective positions of the knob 15. These parts co-operate with a distinct snap action to provide ayieldable detent which ,impositively but nevertheless very tangibly defines each potential operative position of the permutation. parts as determined by the knob. The interaction of bosses 32 ofthe spring with boss. 30, of the frontewall 16,v

of the lock casing, is exactly 'thefsame as the interactionof boss 32 with bosses 31 "since the circumferential dimension of boss 30 is substantiallythe same. as the sponding dimensions of bosses 31 .v To the operator, however, boss 30"is different not only in appearance but also to the touch.

'The pointer 20 is so attachedto knob 15 "T err-ice 'BOBER'I K. W IN'NING, OF WAUWATO$A, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNO'B, BY MESNE ASSIGN- that it points directly to the particular boss I I of the casing in which one of the spring bosses 32 is engaged. This is not essential but it is desirable that in each p'ositiondefined by the detent structure the pointer should. be directed preciselyito one of the exteriorly' apparent bosses on the casing;

For convenience, the bosses 31 may be numbered but their numbering'is not essential for'the reason'that the distance of thepointer from the point of origin 30 may readily be ascertained in any operation of the lock both tangibly and audibly due to the snap action of the detent device.

It is particularly to be observed that the pointer 20 is relatively short. This is desirable in order that the operator may readilyfeel the distinction bet-ween boss 80 and bosses 31. If the pointer were long enough to extend to the arc in whichbosses 31 are disposed, it would cover a major portion of boss 30 and would thereby conceal the difference' boss 30 and bosses 31.

Iclaimz 1. A permutation lock comprisinga casing? having a front wall outwardly embossed at predetermined stations, a knob rotatable with respect to said wall, and a spring connected with said knob for rotation there with and provided with diametrically opposite parts arranged for substantially balanced interaction at said stations with the outwardly embossed portions of said wall.

2. In a ermutation lock the combination with a loc casing having a front wall outwardly embossed at predetermined stations, of a knob rotatable with respect to said wall, permutation mechanism controlled by the rotation of said knob, and a detent member carried by said knob within said wall and provided with a resiliently mounted boss arranged to interact with the bosses of said wall in the predetermined stations of said knob.

3. In a permutation lock the combination with alock casing having a front wall outwardly embossed at predetermined stations,

of a knob rotatable with respect to said Wall, permutation mechanism controlled by the retation of said knob, and a detent member carried by said knob within said wall and provided with a resiliently mounted boss arranged to interact with the bosses of said wall in the predetermined stations of said selector, said knob being provided externally df said'wall with apointer mounted thereon to register angularly with one of the bosses of said wall at each station to which said.

knob is adjusted, whereby said wall bosses indicate the position of said knob visibly in conjunctionowith said pointer and tangibly in conjunction with said detent member.

'4. In a device of; the character described, the combination with a casing having a front wall provided with bosses at predetermined stations in arcuate series, a selector knob rotatable with respect to said wall and having portions' interiorly and exteriorly disposed with reference thereto, a detent member carried by said knob within said wall and provided with means resiliently f co-acting internally with the bosses of said wall, a pointer carried by said knob externally of said Wall and arranged to designate intentionally established between.

one of the bosses of said wall in each position of co-action of said detent member therewith, and means upon said knob bind ing said detent member and pointer upon said wall at opposite sides thereof.

5. In a device of the characterdescribed. the combination with a casing having a front wall provided with bosses at predetermined stations in arcuate series, a selector knob rotatable with respect to said wall andhaving portions interiorly and exteriorly disposed with reference thereto, a detent member carried by said knob within said wall and provided with means resiliently co-acting internally with the bosses of said Wall, a pointer carried by said knob externally of said wall and arranged to designate one of the bosses of said .wall in each position of co-action of said detent'member therewith, and means upon said knob binding said detent member and pointer upon said wall at opposite sides thereof, said means comprising a riveted internal extremity of said knob. I

6. In a device ofthe character described, the combination with a casing having a front wall provided with bosses at predetermined stations in arcuate series, a selector knob rotatable with respect to said wall and having portions interiorly and exteriorly disposed with reference thereto, a detent member carried by said knob within said wall and provided with means resiliently co-acting internally with the bosses of said wall, a pointer carried by said knob externally of said wall and arranged to designate one of the bosses of said wall in each position of co-action of said detent member therewith, and means upon said knob binding said detent member and pointer upon said wall at opposite sides thereof, one of the bosses of said wall being formed differently from other bosses thereof, whereby to designate a point of origin from which said selector may be operated. f

7'. In a device of the character described, the combination with a casing having a front wall outwardly embossed at predetermined wall being outwardly bowed of a selector knob rotatable in said Wall and a spring detent connected with said knob and held thereby adjacent a central portion of saidries, and a distinctive radially elongated boss at one point in said series, of aknob rostations and in arcuateseries, said tatable in said wall and operatively associated with said permutation mechanism within said lock, and a pointer carried by said knob and arranged to designate the several bosses of said series in the course of rotative adjustment of the knob, said pointer being sufficiently short to permit the elongated form of said distinctive boss to be tangibly apparent.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination with a lock casing and permutation mechanism therein, the front wall of said casing being provided with substantially spherical bosses in arcuate series, and a distinctive radially one point in said series, of a knob rotatable in said wall and operatively associated wit said permutation mechanism within said lock, and a pointer carried by said knob and arranged to designate the several bosses of said series in the course of rotative adjustment of the knob, said pointer being sufficiently short to permit the elongated form ofsaid distinctive boss to be tangibly apparent, together with detent mechanism connected with said knob within said wall and co-acting internally with said bosses in positions of registry of said pointer externally therewith. I

10. In a device of the character described, the combination with a lock casing and permutation mechanism therein, the front wall of said casing being provided with substantially spherical bosses in arcuate series, and a distinctive radially elongated boss at one point in said series, of a knob rotatable in said wall and operatively associated with said permutation mechanism within said lock, and a pointer carried by said knob and arranged to designate the several bosses of said series in the course of rotative adjustment-of the knob, said pointer being sufficiently short to permit the elongated form or said distinctive boss to be tangibly apparent, together with detent mechanism connected with said knob within said' wall and co-acting internally with said bosses in positions of registry of said pointer externally therewith, said detent mechanism comprlsing a flat spring secured to said knob and provided with bosses complementary to the bosses of said wall.

ROBERT K. WINNING.

elongated boss at r 

